Spring-hinge.



"PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

- E. MOORE.

SPRING HINGE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 19. 1904.

PATENT OFFIOE.

ELISI-IA MOORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed July 19,1904. Serial No. 217,233.

To (tZZ whom, it iii/a7 concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA Moonn, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring-hinges for the ordinary doors, screens, storm-doors, and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved spring-hinge of the type in which the two members of the hinge may be separated and mounted independently, the

spring being held under tension on one member until the members are connected, when the spring may be automatically thrown into connection with the other member. When it is desired to remove the door, the spring may be thrown to a position to automatically disconnect it from the other member and the door then removed, one member of the hinge at all times, if desired, remaining on the door-frame, whereby it may serve as a sup port for a screen-door in summer and for a storm-door in winter. The spring-hinge may be employed for holding the door open.

A further object is to provide a means by which thehinge members may be coupled together on their pivots in any position and then turned to cause the spring to operate on both members.

Other objects and advantages will be described in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the two members of one embodiment of the hinge as it appears when connected to a door and its frame. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the spring-holding member of the hinge. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the other member of the hinge. Fig. 4 and 5 are front elevations of another embodiment of my hinge; Fig. 6, a top plan view of still another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the spring-holding member shown in Figs. 1 m3.

The sprin holding member comprises an approximate y semicylindrical body 8, open at its rear, and an attaching-flange 9. Within the body 8 is provided a horizontal springsupporting lug 10 and a recessed lug 1]., both of which are integral with said body. Also mounted within the body is the spring, which comprises a coiled portion 13, which surrounds the spring-supporting lug 10, a short I upwardly-extending arm 14, which engages the recessed lug 11, and a long arm 15, which extends upwardly through a guide or arcuate slot 16 in one end of the body 8. This arcuate slot or guide 16 is disposed transversely to the line or direction in which the springarm. has a tendency to move and is approximately concentric with the axis or pivot of the hinge, providing a compression-point 241 and a branch extending in the direction of the expansion of the spring on each side of the compression-point. The rear branch of the arcuate slot 16 is extended rearwardly at 16 to permit the spring-arm 15 to move rearwardly when forced by a means to be hereinafter more fully described. The other member of the hinge comprises an attachingfiange 17 and a shoulder 18, which rests against the end of the body 8, through which the spring-arm 15 projects. This member of the hinge has a pivoted or hinged connection with the spring-holding member, which connection comprises a pintle 19 on one member and a circular opening 20 on the other. In Figs. 1 to 3 and 6 and 7 the pintle 19 depends from the shoulder 18 into the opening 20 in the top of the body 8, while in Figs. 4 and 5 the pintle 19 extends upwardly from the top of the housing, and the shoulder is provided with an opening 20.

The shoulder 18 is provided with a vertical recess 21 to receive the projecting end of the spring-arm 15. The rear wall 22 of the shoulder is nearer to the axis of the hinge than the notched wall, so that a space is provided in which the spring may lie when in the rear end of the slot 16, as seen in Fig. 1, the spring being shown in dotted lines. The wall of the shoulder 18 between the rear wall 22 and the recessed wall is a cam-face 23, which when the swinging member is turned a sufficient distance to open the door and the spring is in the rear end of slot 16 causes the end of the spring to move rearwardly in the arcuate-slot extension 16 to enter the recess 21. Thus it will be seen that the hinge members may be assembled when the parts are arranged so that the recess 21 does not lie over the end of the spring-arm 15.

The end of the spring-arm 15 is slightly bent at 15 (see Fig. 2,) so that when the arm is in the rear of the slot 16 the end will be vertical, and when the arm is in the forward end of the slot the end will be inclined, thereby permitting the members to be separated when in its rear position and holding IIO them together in its forward position by eX- I tending over the shoulder 18.

I11 Fig. 6 the attaching-flange 17 is rel placed by an intermediate hinge-section 17, l which is adapted to lie between the door and the door-frame, and to this section is hinged an attaching-plate 17 a coil-spring 17 causing them to normally lie one against the other. This embodiment is adapted for those doors which are desired to swing in both directions. E

The operation of my invention is as follows: The spring-arm 15 being in the position shown in Fig. 7, the two members are fitted together in any position and then turned in the direction of opening the door. This causes the spring-arm to ride on the cam 23 and enter the recess 21 ann the door to be held in open position. To close the door, it is slightly turned in the direction of closing I until the spring moves in the slot past the compression-point 24, when the spring will expand and close the door. Of course the compression-point is in such a position that in the ordinary use of the door the end of the spring will not pass to the other side thereof. To hold the door open, the door is swung as far as possible to an open position, whereby the spring-arm 15 is carried to the rear 0 the compression-point and there expands, holding the door in this position. In this position if the door is lifted it may be removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with one hinge member and a spring carried thereby, of a second hinge member adapted for pivotal connection with the first, carrying a spring-retaining recess, and provided with means to operate on the spring to cause the spring to enter the springretaining recess and act on the second memher.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with one hinge member, and a spring carried thereby, of a second hinge member adapted for pivotal connection with the first hinge member without contacting with the spring, and provided with a springretaining recess and a cam-face adapted to engage the spring and cause it to enter the recess when said member is turned relatively to the other.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with the spring-holding hinge member, provided with a guide concentric with the pivot of the hinge and having a compression-point, and a spring-arm on said member, of a second hinge member pivoted to the spring-holding member and provided with a spring-holding recess and a cam to cause the spring to enter the recess.

4. A spring hinge, comprising a hinge member formed of an approximately cylindrical casing with an attaching-flange on one side, and a pivot member at its top, and provided with an arcuate slot in its top concentric with the pivot member a spring-arm mounted within the casing and extending through the arcuate slot; and asecond hinge member formed of an attaching-flange and a projecting shoulder having a spring-holding recess and pivot member.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with the spring-holding hinge member and a spring-arm carried thereby, a

guide for the spring-arm having a 'compres sion-point and a branch on each side of the compression-point, of a second hinge mem ber pivoted to the spring holding hinge member and provided with a spring-holding recess and a cam for causing the spring-arm to enter said recess when the member is turned.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of the spring-holding hinge member, provided with an areuate guide concentric with the pivot of the hinge and providing a compression-point and a branch on each side of the compression-point, and a second hinge member provided with a shoulder having its rear wall nearer to the axis of the hinge than its front wall, and having a spring-holding recess in its front wall, and a cam-face between its rear wall and the spring-holding recess.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with the spring-holding hinge member and a spring-arm carried thereby having its end slightly bent, a guide for the end of the spring-arm having a compressionpoint and a branch on each side of the compression-point, of a second hinge member pivoted to the spring-holding hinge member and provided with a spring-receiving recess; the end of the spring-arm being, when in one of the guide branches, in a position to hold the two hinge members together and, when in the other guide branch, in a position to permit the members to be separated.

The foregoing specification signed this 1 6th day of June, 1904.

ELISHA MOORE.

In presence of ROBERT CUSI-IMAN, Josnrrr T. BRENNAN. 

